Learning in Action at West Hempstead Secondary School
From constitutional questions to the science of density, WHe saw curiosity in action this week at @wh_secondary.
WHe visited classrooms where students debated the powers of the President and the impact of the media in Mr. Hanna's Economics/Government class, explored what floats and why in Ms. Kayaian's Earth Science class, practiced metric conversions in Mr. Trupia's 7th grade Science class, and studied the history and technology of the Civil War in Mr. Paul's 8th grade Social Studies class.
Thank you to our teachers for creating classrooms where students think critically, ask questions, and connect learning to the world around them. Read the full weekly update for more highlights, and check back soon to see where WHe visit next. 🖤💛
#WHeRiseTogether
From constitutional questions to the science of density, WHe saw curiosity in action this week at @wh_secondary.
WHe visited classrooms where students debated the powers of the President and the impact of the media in Mr. Hanna's Economics/Government class, explored what floats and why in Ms. Kayaian's Earth Science class, practiced metric conversions in Mr. Trupia's 7th grade Science class, and studied the history and technology of the Civil War in Mr. Paul's 8th grade Social Studies class.
Thank you to our teachers for creating classrooms where students think critically, ask questions, and connect learning to the world around them. Read the full weekly update for more highlights, and check back soon to see where WHe visit next. 🖤💛
#WHeRiseTogether
📸 Picture Day is FRIDAY! Photos taken will be used in the 6th Grade Yearbook! Parents: join the 6th Grade Committee to help fund Fun Day, the dance & more. Scan the QR code on the flyer to sign up!
@WHChestnut @WH_Cornwell @WHGWRams
#WHeRiseTogether
@WHChestnut @WH_Cornwell @WHGWRams
#WHeRiseTogether
🍎🍂 Hello, October! 🍂🍎
New month, new adventures, and SO many opportunities to learn and grow! 📚✨ WHe are ready for colorful leaves, curious minds, big smiles, and lots of exciting discoveries along the way. 🍁🔍💡
Let’s make it a wonderful October filled with learning, laughter, creativity, and plenty of moments to shine! 🌟
WHe are inspiring minds every day! 💙
New month, new adventures, and SO many opportunities to learn and grow! 📚✨ WHe are ready for colorful leaves, curious minds, big smiles, and lots of exciting discoveries along the way. 🍁🔍💡
Let’s make it a wonderful October filled with learning, laughter, creativity, and plenty of moments to shine! 🌟
WHe are inspiring minds every day! 💙
“I appreciate the welcoming and collaborative spirit of the people I’ve met so far. There is a genuine commitment to supporting one another and doing what is best for students. I appreciate how deeply student needs are at the center of the work. There is a strong desire to provide students with the support, opportunities, and services they need to be successful. I appreciate being part of a department and district that is open to growth and new ideas. I’m excited about the opportunity to listen, learn, build relationships, and contribute in meaningful ways as we continue moving forward together.”
Active Learning on Display at George Washington Intermediate School
This week's classroom walkthroughs at @WHGWashington highlighted the many ways our teachers keep students engaged and thinking critically. In one classroom, small group instruction combined story comprehension questions with an interactive literacy bingo game. In a 5th grade classroom, students conducted text-based research on constellations, searching for specific information while their teacher provided ongoing support throughout the lesson. Nearby, students worked independently on a Neolithic Age assignment, with individualized support available as needed.
In a 6th grade classroom, students responded to a Do Now prompt asking them to explain how to find the area of a rectangle to a younger student, reinforcing the principle that teaching a concept to others is one of the strongest indicators of true understanding.
These visits reflect the district's ongoing commitment to active, student-centered learning at every grade level.
WHe Rise Together
This week's classroom walkthroughs at @WHGWashington highlighted the many ways our teachers keep students engaged and thinking critically. In one classroom, small group instruction combined story comprehension questions with an interactive literacy bingo game. In a 5th grade classroom, students conducted text-based research on constellations, searching for specific information while their teacher provided ongoing support throughout the lesson. Nearby, students worked independently on a Neolithic Age assignment, with individualized support available as needed.
In a 6th grade classroom, students responded to a Do Now prompt asking them to explain how to find the area of a rectangle to a younger student, reinforcing the principle that teaching a concept to others is one of the strongest indicators of true understanding.
These visits reflect the district's ongoing commitment to active, student-centered learning at every grade level.
WHe Rise Together
Fundations Instruction in Focus at Cornwell Avenue School
This week's classroom walkthroughs at @CornwellAveES highlighted the strength of our Fundations literacy program in action. In 3rd grade classrooms, students explored glued sounds, examining how they're marked, pronounced, and used in context, and engaged in partner discussions before bringing new vocabulary back to the whole group for respectful academic debate. Classrooms also began piloting a new parallel teaching model integrating math specialist support directly into instructional time.
In 1st grade, students practiced sliding through sounds, building words like "hot" and "sand" by sounding out and blending individual letters, reinforcing foundational decoding skills that support long-term reading fluency.
These visits reflect the district's continued commitment to strong, structured literacy instruction across every grade level.
WHe Rise Together
This week's classroom walkthroughs at @CornwellAveES highlighted the strength of our Fundations literacy program in action. In 3rd grade classrooms, students explored glued sounds, examining how they're marked, pronounced, and used in context, and engaged in partner discussions before bringing new vocabulary back to the whole group for respectful academic debate. Classrooms also began piloting a new parallel teaching model integrating math specialist support directly into instructional time.
In 1st grade, students practiced sliding through sounds, building words like "hot" and "sand" by sounding out and blending individual letters, reinforcing foundational decoding skills that support long-term reading fluency.
These visits reflect the district's continued commitment to strong, structured literacy instruction across every grade level.
WHe Rise Together
Literacy Spotlight: Foundational Skills in Action at @WHChestnut
This week's classroom visits highlighted the deliberate, daily instruction shaping our youngest readers. In Ms. Klafter's class, students examined the cover and title page of a new decodable book, including its illustrative motion lines, before reading a sentence together and circling the newly introduced word. In Ms. Wagner's Kindergarten class, students expanded on short "i" sound words before being introduced to a new letter, U, and its two sounds. In Ms. Gioino's class, students practiced word pronunciation using picture prompts, earning an apple for their basket with each correct read.
Moments like these are the heartbeat of our K–8 literacy framework, small, consistent steps that build lifelong readers. RamProud of our Chestnut Street educators and students for the strong start they're building together.
This week's classroom visits highlighted the deliberate, daily instruction shaping our youngest readers. In Ms. Klafter's class, students examined the cover and title page of a new decodable book, including its illustrative motion lines, before reading a sentence together and circling the newly introduced word. In Ms. Wagner's Kindergarten class, students expanded on short "i" sound words before being introduced to a new letter, U, and its two sounds. In Ms. Gioino's class, students practiced word pronunciation using picture prompts, earning an apple for their basket with each correct read.
Moments like these are the heartbeat of our K–8 literacy framework, small, consistent steps that build lifelong readers. RamProud of our Chestnut Street educators and students for the strong start they're building together.
🍎 We're Hiring: Special Education Teacher — West Hempstead Secondary School
Are you the educator who sees a student's IEP as a roadmap to possibility, not a checklist?
Do you want to help students find their voice, build their confidence, and own their learning?
Are you energized by designing instruction that meets every student exactly where they are?
Do you want to be part of a team that treats differentiation as a mindset, not a mandate?
Are you ready to build individualized pathways that help students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally?
If so, RamFam wants to meet you.
We're searching for a Special Education teacher (K-12 certification; Science/Math preferred) to join West Hempstead Secondary School for the 2026-2027 school year. This is a probationary position for an educator ready to apprentice students into expertise through inquiry — someone who brings deep content knowledge, guides learning to surface and deep outcomes, and attends to the social-emotional side of teaching, not just the academic side.
📍 West Hempstead Secondary School
📜 NYS Certification Required (Special Education K-12)
🗓️ Apply by October 9, 2026 at www.olasjobs.org
If this sounds like your kind of "Year One and Beyond," we'd love to talk.
#SpecialEducation #NowHiring #TeachingJobs #LongIslandSchools #RamFam #WestHempstead
Are you the educator who sees a student's IEP as a roadmap to possibility, not a checklist?
Do you want to help students find their voice, build their confidence, and own their learning?
Are you energized by designing instruction that meets every student exactly where they are?
Do you want to be part of a team that treats differentiation as a mindset, not a mandate?
Are you ready to build individualized pathways that help students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally?
If so, RamFam wants to meet you.
We're searching for a Special Education teacher (K-12 certification; Science/Math preferred) to join West Hempstead Secondary School for the 2026-2027 school year. This is a probationary position for an educator ready to apprentice students into expertise through inquiry — someone who brings deep content knowledge, guides learning to surface and deep outcomes, and attends to the social-emotional side of teaching, not just the academic side.
📍 West Hempstead Secondary School
📜 NYS Certification Required (Special Education K-12)
🗓️ Apply by October 9, 2026 at www.olasjobs.org
If this sounds like your kind of "Year One and Beyond," we'd love to talk.
#SpecialEducation #NowHiring #TeachingJobs #LongIslandSchools #RamFam #WestHempstead
RamProud moment! 🖤💛 Jamie Alvarado, Emmanuel Suarez, Lilyana Jimenez & Tristan Mathai, with coaches Chris Van Kovics & Mariah Tyler, repped WH at the USC Summit, growing as leaders and hearing from former NCAA official Andrew Marottalle. #WHeRiseTogether @sec_viii_ath
🚌🍎 Help us STUFF THE BUS! 🍎🚌
The West Hempstead Secondary School Key Club is hosting our annual Stuff the Bus Food Drive to support students in our community!
📍 West Hempstead Secondary School Football Field, 400 Nassau Blvd.
📅 Saturday, September 26th
🕐 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Follow the Homecoming Parade over and drop off your donations — or bring them to the Secondary School anytime if you can't make it that day.
Needed items include:
🥫 Canned soup, vegetables, potatoes/yams
🍝 Pasta, tomato sauce, mac & cheese, Chef Boyardee
🍚 Rice, instant mashed potatoes, stuffing
🍪 Cookies, crackers, cereal, granola bars
🧃 Juice boxes, pancake mix & syrup, PB&J
🧻 Paper towels, cleaning & healthcare supplies
💳 Gift cards are always welcome too!
Every donation helps a Ram family in need. Thank you for supporting our students! 💛🖤
@wh_secondary @whkeyclub
#WestHempstead #RamFam #StuffTheBus #KeyClub #CommunityGiveBack
TOMORROW!!!
🏈🎉 Homecoming is here, Ram Fam! Join us Saturday, September 26, for our Homecoming Parade — line up at 12:00 p.m. at the District Office on Chestnut St.; the parade starts at 12:30 p.m.
Then stick around for the Carnival at 1:00 p.m. and cheer on our Rams vs. Elmont at 2:00 p.m.! Please bring a non-perishable food item for the food pantry.
See you there! 🐏⚫🟡 #WHUFSD #RamFam #Homecoming2026
This Week Across WHUFSD: Learning in Action
At George Washington Intermediate School, students engaged in civics discussions, completed the NWEA assessment, and connected the experience to our district's Habits of Mind, using it as an opportunity to build resilience and embrace challenge as a path to growth. Classrooms also continued strengthening core reading and math skills through hands-on instruction.
At West Hempstead Secondary School (@wh_secondary), students applied precision and reasoning in geometry, practiced examining research topics through multiple perspectives, and explored creativity through constraint-based abstract sculpture projects.
From foundational skills to advanced problem-solving, our students across every level are demonstrating what it means to grow through challenge.
🖤💛 #WHeRiseTogether
At George Washington Intermediate School, students engaged in civics discussions, completed the NWEA assessment, and connected the experience to our district's Habits of Mind, using it as an opportunity to build resilience and embrace challenge as a path to growth. Classrooms also continued strengthening core reading and math skills through hands-on instruction.
At West Hempstead Secondary School (@wh_secondary), students applied precision and reasoning in geometry, practiced examining research topics through multiple perspectives, and explored creativity through constraint-based abstract sculpture projects.
From foundational skills to advanced problem-solving, our students across every level are demonstrating what it means to grow through challenge.
🖤💛 #WHeRiseTogether
🎉 RamPride on a National Stage!
Today, members of our WHUFSD team joined Sal Khan for a national webinar to share West Hempstead's Khanmigo story, and WHe couldn't be RamProuder. 👏
From framing the vision to grounding it in real classroom practice, our team showed the country what instructional innovation looks like when it's built around real students and real teachers.
This is the work WHe do every day in West Hempstead. Today, everyone else got to see it too.
https://bit.ly/4yek59P
#RamPride #WHUFSD #Khanmigo #EdTech #WestHempstead
Today, members of our WHUFSD team joined Sal Khan for a national webinar to share West Hempstead's Khanmigo story, and WHe couldn't be RamProuder. 👏
From framing the vision to grounding it in real classroom practice, our team showed the country what instructional innovation looks like when it's built around real students and real teachers.
This is the work WHe do every day in West Hempstead. Today, everyone else got to see it too.
https://bit.ly/4yek59P
#RamPride #WHUFSD #Khanmigo #EdTech #WestHempstead
"One of the things I appreciate most about West Hempstead is how incredibly welcoming the staff and community have been. From the very beginning, I have felt supported, valued, and genuinely embraced as part of the West Hempstead family. I’m grateful to be part of a community where relationships, collaboration, and a shared commitment to our students are so clearly valued."
⚡ SAFETY REMINDER: Nassau County law prohibits motorized scooters and Class 2 & 3 e-bikes on ANY county roadway, bike lane, sidewalk, park path, or public property. Violations can mean impoundment and fines up to $700. Report reckless e-bike riding to 911. #WHeRiseTogether
Great to see the @HempsteadTown Highway team out this morning refreshing the crosswalk striping in front of @WHChestnut! 🚧🖌️ Fresh lines, working with our one-way and stop signage, make a real difference for the safety of our students, families, and staff walking to and from school each day. Thank you for the hard work and for keeping our kids safe! 🐏
This week, WHe had the pleasure of visiting Cornwell Avenue School, where literacy showed up everywhere, not just during reading block.
WHe watched students weaving reading and writing directly into their math work, using literacy skills to solve problems and explain their thinking. Elsewhere in the building, students were reading for fluency and prosody, practicing the rhythm and expression that turn words on a page into real understanding. And in quieter moments, students were simply reading for enjoyment, getting lost in a good book because they wanted to, not because they had to.
Whether it's math or literacy, Cornwell Avenue is building the foundation for future success, one skill, one story, one student at a time.
WHe Rise Together. 🖤💛
WHe watched students weaving reading and writing directly into their math work, using literacy skills to solve problems and explain their thinking. Elsewhere in the building, students were reading for fluency and prosody, practicing the rhythm and expression that turn words on a page into real understanding. And in quieter moments, students were simply reading for enjoyment, getting lost in a good book because they wanted to, not because they had to.
Whether it's math or literacy, Cornwell Avenue is building the foundation for future success, one skill, one story, one student at a time.
WHe Rise Together. 🖤💛
This week, WHe had the pleasure of visiting Chestnut Street School, where our youngest learners are already building the habits and skills that will carry them through their years in West Hempstead.
WHe watched students working together to clean up after centers, a small moment, but one that speaks volumes about the teamwork and responsibility we're instilling from day one. In the classroom, students were introduced to the idea of becoming authors themselves through an engaging anchor text, sparking their imaginations about the stories they might one day tell. And when the weather didn't cooperate for outdoor time, teachers pivoted seamlessly, leading students through a movement break after some academics.
It's these everyday moments, teamwork, literacy, flexibility, that reflect the strong foundation being built at Chestnut Street every day.
WHe Rise Together. 🖤💛
WHe watched students working together to clean up after centers, a small moment, but one that speaks volumes about the teamwork and responsibility we're instilling from day one. In the classroom, students were introduced to the idea of becoming authors themselves through an engaging anchor text, sparking their imaginations about the stories they might one day tell. And when the weather didn't cooperate for outdoor time, teachers pivoted seamlessly, leading students through a movement break after some academics.
It's these everyday moments, teamwork, literacy, flexibility, that reflect the strong foundation being built at Chestnut Street every day.
WHe Rise Together. 🖤💛
Sal Khan and West Hempstead: Building for New York's New Graduation Requirements
Live Conversation | September 23, 2026 | 12:00 PM ET
West Hempstead UFSD has spent eighteen months turning Khan Academy from an informal classroom tool into a districtwide practice, now used daily by classroom teachers, ENL staff, intervention specialists, speech therapists, and PE teachers, reaching approximately 1,660 students across the district.
On September 23, Sal Khan will join the teachers and leaders behind that work for a live conversation:
Dina Reilly, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Katie DiGregorio, Director of Learning — ENL, Data, & Student Success
Ms. Brianna Monzert, Cornwell Avenue School
Ms. Kelly Lynch, George Washington Intermediate School
Ms. Catherine Klein, Secondary School
Ms. Erin Geiger, Secondary School
Topics will include:
Why West Hempstead built toward New York's new graduation requirements before the rules were finalized
What skill-level mastery data reveals that a report card cannot
Why teachers were asked to try AI tools a set number of times, not to master them, and why that approach succeeded where a mandate would not
How the district responded when students began prompting AI for answers instead of using it to learn
Districts navigating the same shift toward demonstrated proficiency are encouraged to attend.
Register now: khanacademy-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/5217811152917/WN_av6ySJpkSpOL6C4kUVtcjA
Live Conversation | September 23, 2026 | 12:00 PM ET
West Hempstead UFSD has spent eighteen months turning Khan Academy from an informal classroom tool into a districtwide practice, now used daily by classroom teachers, ENL staff, intervention specialists, speech therapists, and PE teachers, reaching approximately 1,660 students across the district.
On September 23, Sal Khan will join the teachers and leaders behind that work for a live conversation:
Dina Reilly, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Katie DiGregorio, Director of Learning — ENL, Data, & Student Success
Ms. Brianna Monzert, Cornwell Avenue School
Ms. Kelly Lynch, George Washington Intermediate School
Ms. Catherine Klein, Secondary School
Ms. Erin Geiger, Secondary School
Topics will include:
Why West Hempstead built toward New York's new graduation requirements before the rules were finalized
What skill-level mastery data reveals that a report card cannot
Why teachers were asked to try AI tools a set number of times, not to master them, and why that approach succeeded where a mandate would not
How the district responded when students began prompting AI for answers instead of using it to learn
Districts navigating the same shift toward demonstrated proficiency are encouraged to attend.
Register now: khanacademy-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/5217811152917/WN_av6ySJpkSpOL6C4kUVtcjA
🏈🎉 Homecoming is almost here, Ram Fam!
The countdown is on! Join us Saturday, September 26 for a day full of school spirit, community and Rams pride! 🐏
🎉 Homecoming Parade
📍 Line up at 12:00 p.m. at the District Office on Chestnut St.
🥁 Parade kicks off at 12:30 p.m.
🎪 Homecoming Carnival — 1:00 p.m.
🏈 Rams vs. Elmont — 2:00 p.m.
Come out, show your Ram pride and help us make Homecoming a day to remember!
🥫 Please bring a non-perishable food item to support our local food pantry.
WHe can’t wait to see you there! 🐏🎉
The countdown is on! Join us Saturday, September 26 for a day full of school spirit, community and Rams pride! 🐏
🎉 Homecoming Parade
📍 Line up at 12:00 p.m. at the District Office on Chestnut St.
🥁 Parade kicks off at 12:30 p.m.
🎪 Homecoming Carnival — 1:00 p.m.
🏈 Rams vs. Elmont — 2:00 p.m.
Come out, show your Ram pride and help us make Homecoming a day to remember!
🥫 Please bring a non-perishable food item to support our local food pantry.
WHe can’t wait to see you there! 🐏🎉
